Asphalt-hoe.



No. 709,903. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

- s. HARPER.

ASPHALT Ho's.

Application filed-"Dec. 7, 19 01.)

(No Model.)

extending above or beyond the upper edge of adapted to closely fit theshank and thereby 100 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SMITH HARPER, OF ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PENN- SYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO SMITH HARPER, CHARLES S. HARPER, AND FRANK W. HARPER,TRADING AS SMITH HARPER & SONS.

ASPHALT-HOE.

SPECIFICATION forming-part of Letters Patent No. 709,903, datedSeptember 30, 1902.

Application filed December 7, 1901. Serial No. 85,053. (No model.)

To all whom it Tmty concern.-

Be it known thatl, SMITH HARPER, a citizen of the United States,residing in Abington township, in the county of Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAsphalt-Hoes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an implement for themanipulation of asphalt when in a plastic state in such work asstreetpaving, laying of walks, and like service. In handling a mass ofthe asphalt it is best for the operator to draw it toward him, while itis best to reverse the operation or push it from him when smoothing itssurface.

My invention provides a single implement or tool adapted to both usesand operations.

The hoe as heretofore constructed and used is not adapted for pushingthe material from the operator, owing to its angularity to the work andthe force it is necessary to exert in moving the sticky mass, but withthe construction here presented the operator has simply to reversethetool to suit the operation of drawing or leveling and smoothing.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a front view. Fig. 2 is a rear View. Fig. 3 is an edge view.Fig. 4: is a central vertical section, on an enlarged scale, on line a;m, Fig. 1, and line 11 c, Fig. 2. Fig: 5 is an edge view of theimplement as in use for scraping, leveling, smoothing, and pushingmaterial from the operator. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the implement asin use for drawing material toward the operator or as an ordinary hoe.

Similar figures of reference indicate similar parts throughout theviews.

Blade 1 has a shank 2 formed integral therewith, the blade being beveledback from its lower edge 3, and the shank is secured in a handle 4:,having a ferrule 5, with a rivet 6 passing through hole 7 in shank 2 andalso through ferrule 5 and handle 4. So far the implementis of my usualconstruction. Upon the upper part of hoe-blade 1 is secured a plate 8 byrivets 9, the upper edge of plate 8 blade 1, and in order to permit suchattachment a hole 10 is made in plate 8, through which shank 2 ispassed, the upper edge 11 of hole 10 being beveled to close down tightand snugly fit the curved neck 12 of shank 2 and below the top of thecurve, (see Fig. 4,) so that pressure in the direction of the arrow willbe resisted by the upwardly-curving surface of the neck which supportsplate 8. When the hoe is used as seen in Fig. 6, the leverage from edge3 to neck 12 is too great for a scraper for manipulating asphalt in aplastic state, as the asphalt parts then closely adhere to each otherand much force must be exerted to do the work; besides, thesixty-degrees angle of the blade 1 to the work is not suitable toproduce an even level surface, the blade edge 3 having a tendency tospring and to dig into the material below its surface. As

the operator can push more than he can pull,

he has simply to reverse the hoe to the position shown in Fig. 5, whenhandle 4will assume the same angle and be as convenient to handle asbefore, the plate 8 will be at a right angle to the working surface, sothat it will not tend to dig in, the leverage being short from-theworking edge 15 to the point 11 on neck 12, where it is backed up andsupported, the plate will not spring, and the plate 8 being firm and inproper position the work of scraping, truing, and smoothing is easilyand accurately done.

I claim- 1. In an asphalt-hoe, a blade, a shank therefor, a handle forthe shank, a scraper-plate in alinement with the hoe-plate and having anaperture for the insertion of the shank, and means to secure the plateto the blade aforesaid, in alinement therewith and at the blades upperpart so that the plate shall extend above the upper edge of the blade,and above its shank. V

2. In an asphalt-hoe, a blade, an integral shank therefor, a ferrule anda handle secured to the shank, a plate secured to the blade in alinementtherewith and projecting beyond the upper edge of the blade, an aperturein the plate through which the shank is inserted, and an upper edge tothe aperture support it to resist the pressure upon the an aperture inthe scraper-plate having its front of the plate. upper side formed toclosely fit and be sup- 3. In an asphalt hoe and scraper, a blade,ported against the curve of the shank at a a shank integral with theblade, the shank point below its highest part. 5 upwardly tending andbackwardly curved, In testimony whereof I aflix my signature :5

a handle secured to the shank so that the in presence of two witnesses.

blade shall stand at about an angle of sixty SMITH HARPER. degrees froma horizontal line at its Working W'itnesses: edge; a scraper-platesecured to the blade at R. (J. WRIGHT,

10 its upper part, and in alinement therewith, WILLIAM C. STOEVER.

